People with disabilities face an additional cost of £15,000 thanks to the changing economy, according to a disability expert. Purpl founder and disability expert Georgina Colman says rising costs have a 'disproportionate impact' on disabled households in the UK.
Energy bills push disabled households beyond breaking point
Georgina said this week's news that energy bills are set to rise by 13%, another £221 a year from July, will push people with disabilities beyond breaking point. She said: “The rise in energy prices will create enormous anxiety for the disabled community, who are already paying a ‘disability price premium’ every single day. With the annual additional cost of being disabled also expected to rise by 12% by 2030, totalling £15,000 a year in extra costs, rising energy bills will push many households beyond breaking point.”
“Disabled people are disproportionately affected by rising energy costs because many simply cannot reduce their usage in the way non-disabled households might. If you need to charge a powered wheelchair, run medical equipment overnight, heat your home to manage a health condition or spend more time indoors because of accessibility barriers, your increased energy use is simply unavoidable.”
Shrinking budgets and rising costs
With energy bills rising, alongside the rising cost of food and accessible items such as mobility equipment and essential care products, disabled households are left carrying a financial burden that most people never see. Georgina said: “What worries me most is that disabled people are becoming trapped in a cycle where the essentials they rely on are rising in price faster than benefits, wages or wider inflation. I’ve seen it personally. The wheelchair I bought in 2017 for under £100 now costs around £170. That kind of increase is happening across countless products disabled people depend on every single day, all while household bills continue climbing.”
Purpl research reveals that wheelchairs, mobility scooters and free-from foods are among the items that have increased in price the most. A survey of more than 6,000 disabled people found that 79% feel products designed specifically for their needs are increasing in price more quickly than standard alternatives.
Latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows the price of food is on track to be 50% higher by the end of 2026 than when the cost of living crisis began in 2021. Data from NimbleFins shows that the UK’s average household has a monthly budget of £2,870. But, according to Scope, the average disabled household needs an additional £1,095 a month (equivalent to £13,140 annually) to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households. Current Scope estimates also project that the cost of being disabled will increase by a further 12% by the 2029–2030 financial year, pushing the total additional cost to almost £15,000 annually.
Specialist products see steep price hikes
According to the Purpl poll, allergen-free foods rank third among the items consumers felt had risen most sharply in price. Gluten-free bread now costs up to six times more than its conventional equivalent, while vegetarian mince has more than doubled in price over two years, rising from £1.25 in 2024 to £2.60 in 2026, a 108% increase. The cost of essential mobility equipment is also rising. There are currently around 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK. A basic manual wheelchair costs around £150, while powered wheelchairs can typically range from £1,000 to £4,500 but can go up to £40,000. Mobility scooters, used by an estimated 350,000 people, can cost anywhere between £700 and £4,000.
While the NHS can provide this equipment through specialist services, many disabled people still have to buy or upgrade their own mobility equipment privately, and inflation is only driving up manufacturing and importation costs. Georgina said: “Disabled people are being hit twice over, by rising living costs that affect everyone and by the surging prices of the specialist products they simply cannot live without. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, free-from foods, incontinence products, these aren't luxuries; they are essentials.”
Why does PIP not solve the problem?
While disability benefits such as PIP are designed to help cover extra costs, they typically fall short. The average PIP payment across households is around £465 per month, covering less than half of the additional costs disabled people face and leaving an estimated £630 monthly shortfall. Projections suggest this gap could widen further, reaching £704 per month by 2030.
Danielle Dyson, 30, from Plymouth, said: “There are many items that have gone up in price, from phone and internet bills, incontinence pads, parking permits and disabled bay repainting fees. Life becomes considerably harder with inflation because I have to buy a lot of things daily just to be able to get by. I buy incontinence pads for a family member, and when I first started buying them, you could pay around £6 a couple of years ago, and now they have gone up to £8-£9 a pack.”
Purpl offers support for disabled households
Purpl launched in July 2024 and is the first savings platform for disabled people in the UK. It offers discounts and exclusive savings which help members save hundreds a year. Disabled households can save as much as £700 over the year using Purpl. Anyone with a disability or long-term health condition recognised under the Equality Act 2010 can access discounts and exclusive savings by signing up for Purpl, and verifying their disability status with accepted documentation such as PIP, DLA, Blue Badge, Disabled Bus Pass, Disabled Persons Railcard, NHS diagnosis letter and Access Card. Members can be verified by Purpl within an hour and gain access to the various discount codes. Purpl also offers advice on personal finance and disability. The platform has also launched the Purpl Grant Community Fund to help disabled people meet essential expenses and access vital practical support.
